What is Social Design, anyway? The term is typically used to label the work of those designers and architects who focus on tasks born out of humanitarian and socio-political issues, but the term is deeply unsatisfying. For instance, it suggests a type of design that is not conceived for the benefit of individuals, but rather for idealised and averaged groupings thereof, with the intent of improving their conditions. But isn't the generalisation dangerous? And isn't it what designers do? Isn't all design "social"? It also suggests outside intervention and, indeed, a teacher-pupil relationship.
![Top: Elemental, <em>Quinta Monroy</em>,
Iquique, Chile: examples of
housing units completed and
enlarged through informal
interventions. The project
allows for the residents to
intervene autonomously to
double the initial 36-m2 floor
area of the individual units. The construction of the
93-unit housing complex
began in 2004. Above: Project H: Studio H,
<em>Windsor Super Market</em>. The public farmers’ market
pavilion was designed and
built as part of the Studio H
public high school “design/
build” programme based
in Bertie County, North
Carolina. Studio H is an
initiative by Project H Top: Elemental, <em>Quinta Monroy</em>,
Iquique, Chile: examples of
housing units completed and
enlarged through informal
interventions. The project
allows for the residents to
intervene autonomously to
double the initial 36-m2 floor
area of the individual units. The construction of the
93-unit housing complex
began in 2004. Above: Project H: Studio H,
<em>Windsor Super Market</em>. The public farmers’ market
pavilion was designed and
built as part of the Studio H
public high school “design/
build” programme based
in Bertie County, North
Carolina. Studio H is an
initiative by Project H](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_4471_DO120210016.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Victor Papanek, <em>Design
For The Real World: Human
Ecology and Social Change</em>,
First Bantam Books Printing,
1973 Victor Papanek, <em>Design
For The Real World: Human
Ecology and Social Change</em>,
First Bantam Books Printing,
1973](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_7212_DO120210023.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
Social Design walks a very fine line, and it has often gone hand in hand with moralism and sweeping declarations
![Massoud Hassani’s <em>Mine
Kafon</em>, a wind-powered
land mine clearance device.
Made with an integrated
GPS system, it rolls over the
land deactivating mines and
memorising cleared paths.
Massoud Hassani’s <em>Mine
Kafon</em>, a wind-powered
land mine clearance device.
Made with an integrated
GPS system, it rolls over the
land deactivating mines and
memorising cleared paths.](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_9297_DO120210011.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Massoud Hassani’s <em>Mine Kafon</em> is a low-cost product,
easy to assemble, and its
designer hopes it will help
communities in his native
Afghanistan Massoud Hassani’s <em>Mine Kafon</em> is a low-cost product,
easy to assemble, and its
designer hopes it will help
communities in his native
Afghanistan](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_3372_DO120210003.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Philips Design,
<em>Low Smoke Chulha</em>. Promoted by Philips Design
in close collaboration with
NGOs, the low-tech cooker
project Low Smoke Chulha
considerably reduces
firewood consumption and
also curbs harmful emissions Philips Design,
<em>Low Smoke Chulha</em>. Promoted by Philips Design
in close collaboration with
NGOs, the low-tech cooker
project Low Smoke Chulha
considerably reduces
firewood consumption and
also curbs harmful emissions](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_4520_DO120210001.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Project H Design, <em>Hippo
Roller Redesign</em>. The task of redesigning
the original Hippo Roller to
reduce shipment costs was
commissioned by <em>Hippo
Water Roller Project</em>. More
than 38,000 of these water
conveyer systems have been
distributed in 17 countries Project H Design, <em>Hippo
Roller Redesign</em>. The task of redesigning
the original Hippo Roller to
reduce shipment costs was
commissioned by <em>Hippo
Water Roller Project</em>. More
than 38,000 of these water
conveyer systems have been
distributed in 17 countries](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_9592_DO120210008.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Architecture for Humanity, Daniel Feldman, Lompreta
Nolte Arquitetos, Nanda
Eskes Arquitetura, Mel
Young: <em>Homeless World Cup
Legacy Center</em>, Santa Cruz,
Brazil, 2010. Architecture for Humanity
worked in collaboration with
Homeless World Cup and
Nike GameChangers Architecture for Humanity, Daniel Feldman, Lompreta
Nolte Arquitetos, Nanda
Eskes Arquitetura, Mel
Young: <em>Homeless World Cup
Legacy Center</em>, Santa Cruz,
Brazil, 2010. Architecture for Humanity
worked in collaboration with
Homeless World Cup and
Nike GameChangers](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_1869_DO120210007.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Participle, <em>Activmobs</em> and
<em>Me2</em>, services supporting
healthier lifestyles Participle, <em>Activmobs</em> and
<em>Me2</em>, services supporting
healthier lifestyles](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_3736_DO120210014.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![<em>One Laptop Per Child</em>.
Nicholas Negroponte, the
project’s promoter, presented
the new-generation XO-3
tablet (below), which is
the evolution of the first XO-1
laptop (above).
The design is by Yves Behar’s
Fuseproject <em>One Laptop Per Child</em>.
Nicholas Negroponte, the
project’s promoter, presented
the new-generation XO-3
tablet (below), which is
the evolution of the first XO-1
laptop (above).
The design is by Yves Behar’s
Fuseproject](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_5417_DO120210002.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![<em>One Laptop per Child</em>, new-generation XO-3 tablet <em>One Laptop per Child</em>, new-generation XO-3 tablet](/content/dam/domusweb/en/design/2012/02/22/states-of-design-10-social-design/big_374915_6237_DO120210024.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)